Lil Gordon has been appointed acting National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, with the full-time commissioner yet to be finalised.
The Ngemba woman from Brewarrina, NSW, will take charge of a role long-called for by Indigenous organisations to halt the increasing number of Indigenous children being held in out-of-home care (OOHC) and detention, labelled "unacceptable," by Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, in October.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 12.1 times more likely to be removed from their homes and family than non-Indigenous young people, and 29 times more likely to be in youth detention.
The role was created last year in wake of scathing numbers from the Productivity Commission, with the Commissioner charged with protecting and promoting the rights of Indigenous children and young people across a range of issues.
On LinkedIn, Ms Gordon said: "I am grateful & it's such a privilege to take on the short term role as Acting National Commissioner for Aboriginal Children & Young People until the incoming Commissioner is appointed through the appropriate processes."
Ms Gordon was previously head of Aboriginal Affairs in NSW, and is currently First Assistant Secretary - First Nations Partnerships, for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
SNAICC - National Voice for our Children, the peak body for Indigenous children in Australia, welcomed the announcement of Ms Gordon,
SNAICC chair, Aunty Muriel Bamblett, said the announcement and commencement of the role was a "pivotal step in realising a voice and facilitator" for Indigenous children and their families to ensure their "safety and protection".
"Our sector, communities and families are sick of seeing our children enter the out-of-home care and juvenile justice systems," the 2024 NAIDOC Person of the year said.
"The Commissioner is a vital tool to reverse increasing trends for our children by holding government to account."
Last year, Minister McCarthy said the Commissioner would focus on working with Indigenous organisations on "evidence-based programs and policies to turn those figures around".
"The National Commissioner will be informed by the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, whose voices deserve to be heard," she said at the time.
This was supported by SNAICC chief executive, Catherine Liddle, who said in October: "They [the Commissioner] will be the champion, the voice and facilitator for our children, young people and families, and who will hold governments to account."
Whilst the announcement of a full time Commissioner was expected to be finalised by January, this has not been forthcoming, with Ms Bamblett saying the expedition of the process is "critical" to "ensure this accountability role for our children's rights is in place".
"We commend the government on their commitment to progress legislation that will give the National Commissioner the powers, independence, and authority that the role requires," she said.
"We encourage the government to ensure this legislation is urgently progressed."
